Columbian ovarian cancer survivor shinning in Women’s World Cup

• The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup is casting some new light on Colombian footballer Linda Caicedo
• Caicedo plays for Real Madrid
• She was diagnosed with ovarian cancer when she was 15 years old

The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup is casting some new light on Colombian footballer Linda Caicedo, a brave cancer survivor.

At 18, she scored one of the two winning goals against Korea and the world couldn’t help but admire her temerity. No one thought that three years after her ovarian cancer diagnosis that she would become a global football sensation.  Doctors informed her of an invasive cancer when she was only 15 years old.

Despite making her debut for América de Cali and Colombia’s women’s national football team at such a young age, she put her football career on pause. She said going into her first surgery dimmed all her hopes of playing football at top level but life had other plans for her.  She is part of the 32 teams making headlines in this year’s women’s World Cup.

WHERE IS LINDA CAICEDO FROM?

Linda Ceicado. Photo/People

She hails from Candelaria, Valle del Cauca region in Colombia. Her mother Herlinda Alegría gave birth to her in 2005 her father Mauricio Caicedo remains ecstatic about raising her daughter in Candelaria. She enrolled in Real Juanchito FC, a young football academy for guys only, when she was five years old.

Linda Caicedo was singled out for her superb dribbling and shooting skills at a young age. Her mother, recalls how her daughter used to kick dolls and kitchen utensils in the house when she was young and it was indicative of her love for football.

Rafael Murillo, the club president, was a person Caicedo encountered as she rose through the ranks of Real Juanchito and eventually became his mentor. The Colombian teenager joined Generaciones Palmiranas, her first women’s group when she was 10 years old. It is where she met Felipe Taborda, the head coach of Colombia’s senior women’s squad for the first time.

Caicedo then climbed the ladder and joined the Cali-based CD Atlas C.P. This team based in Cali was founded by Colombian international Carolina Pineda famous for nurturing young, talented footballers.

HOW OLD IS LINDA CAICEDO?

Linda Caicedo is 18 years old. She was born on February 22, 2005. Getting to play for the Columbian national women’s football team is a huge achievement and she started off at America de Cali. 2019 saw Caicedo sign with América de Cali’s women’s team after Carolina Pineda persuaded Marcela Gomez to take Caicedo in when she was only 14, she made her professional debut for the club against Cortuluá and notched her first goal.

Caicedo’s goal versus Independiente Medelln broke the tie and gave América their first-ever league championship with a final aggregate score of 3-2. She helped her team compete in the league finals and earn a spot in the 2019 Copa Libertadores Femenina. Unfortunately, Caicedo, who was then 14 years old, missed out on this final clash because of her young age. She played for América for one season and left over a disagreement on her salary demands.

Columbian footballer Linda Ceicado. Photo/CNN

Luckily, she signed with Deportivo Cali which is América’s fiercest rival in 2020 but her cancer diagnosis came. She missed out half a season of play for surgery and the onset of her cancer treatment but still made it for two seasons with the team before signing with Real Madrid in 2023 cancer-free which is big news.

DID COLOMBIA ADVANCE IN WORLD CUP?

Colombia is the only South American team that advanced to the round of 16 after beating Morocco. They will play with Jamaica on August 8 in the race to secure a quarter-final stage spot. To practically guarantee a place in the knockout rounds and create a new chapter in her extraordinary adventure, Caicedo scored the final goal of Colombia’s opening game in their 2-0 triumph over the Republic of Korea and then added another goal against former champions Germany in their historic 2-1 victory.

With the 2023 Women’s World Cup in progress, Linda Caicedo is just more than a footballer and she is inspiring the world. She is a young lady who overcame improbable obstacles to fulfil her aspirations. At only 15 years old, she received an ovarian cancer diagnosis and was faced with the very reality of never playing football again. But she fought her way back to the field because didn’t give up.

At 18, she still has her charm and the world can’t have enough of the Columbian footballer.